Ornament mounting for channelshaped jewelry element



March 29, 1966 P. E. KETTELL ORNAMENT MOUNTING FOR CHANNEL-SHAPED JEWELRY ELEMENT Filed Dec. 11, 1963 FIG?) F IG 5 FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

PHILIP E. KETTELL ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,242,696- Patented Mar. 29, 1966 ORNAMENT MOUNTING FOR CHANNEL- SHAPED JEWELRY ELEMENT Philip E. Kettell, North Kingstown, R.I., assignor to E. A. Adams & Son, Inc., Pawtucket, KL, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,739 4 Claims. (CI. 63-29) My present invention relates to the jewelry art and more particularly to a novel type of mounting for securing an ornament to a channel bracelet.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an ornament mounting which will permit rapid and easy mounting of an ornament on a channel bracelet. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ornament mounting which locks the ornament to the bracelet once it is mounted.

- vA further object of the present invention is to provide an ornament mounting for a channel bracelet which is simple in construction and easy to operate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ornament mounting for a channel bracelet which eliminates the use of outside fastening means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an ornament mounting for a channel bracelet which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

1With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view my invention consists of a novel arrangementv of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a segment of a channel bracelet with which an ornament of the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 on FIG. 2 with member 20 and the upper portions of flanges 12 removed.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the mounting in position prior to the locking action.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation partly in section showing the ornament attached to the ornament mounting.

One of the conventional types of jewelry items long in use is a so-called channel bracelet. This comprises a channel shaped base formed into a continuous circular bracelet with a plurality of ornaments mounted in the channel member. This is accomplished by mounting the ornament on to a carrying member which is in turn locked within the channel of the base. When this is done at the point of manufacture, the ornaments are locked to the carrying members which are then slipped into the channels before the circular bracelet is completed. If the bracelet is completed prior to such assembly then the ornaments must be attached to the channel later either by soldering or other means. It has been found desirable to provide such bracelets with initials or other types of ornamental devices. These are usually selected by the customer at the retail counter and it is then necessary for the retailer to open the bracelet and slide the ornaments into the channels, or else order the bracelet from the factory. The present invention is designed to avoid all such ditficulties by providing a channel bracelet in which the ornaments can easily be mounted after the completion of the bracelet and once mounted into place are permanently locked in position against removal. The device of the present invention permits rapid assembly at the point of manufacture or the insertion of the initials by the retail store without the use of tools or other outside fastening means,

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a channel bracelet 10 which comprises a flat arcuate base 11 having its opposite edges bent towards each other in the form of flanges 12 to form the channel construction. The mounting for the ornament is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The mounting of the present invention is preferably stamped from rigid sheet stock in the form of a plate which is generally Z-shaped. The central cross member 13 is comparatively wide and tapers slightly towards each end to form a straight edge 14. Parallel arms 15 extend in opposite directions from each straight edge portion 14. Between each arm 15 and the central body portion 13 is a slot 16 terminating in an inner opening 17 which is designed to provide the arms 15 with resiliency. Each arm 15 terminates in an inner sharp pointed end 18 with a rounded surface 19 which swings arcuately rearwardly into the outer line of the arm as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the body of the member 13 is arcuate so that the central portion of it is slightly raised from the surface of the base channel member as shown in FIG. 2. Any suitable ornament 20 is mounted on the attaching member by means of a rivet 21 extending through the central portion 13, or the attachment can be made by any other suitable means.

In use, the ornament with its mounting member is first positioned with-in the channel member 10 in the position shown in FIG. 4 with the parallel arms running parallel to the longitudinal flanges 12. In this position the transverse width of the mounting member is slightly smaller than the space between the inturned arms of the flanges 12 and this permits the mounting member to slide inwardly against the base 11 of the channel bracelet. The ornament 20 and its mounting member are then turned in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIG, 4 into the position shown in FIG. 3. This rotating movement is permitted by the rounded surface 19 at the ends of the arms 15 hearing against the inner walls of the channels 12 and the arms 15 giving resiliently to permit the rotating movement. When the mounting member reaches the position shown in FIG. 3 the arms 15 snap back into their normal position with the sharp ends 18 digging in the base of the flanges 12 as shown in FIG. 3. In this position the mounting member is now locked in place. The flat edges 14 constitute straight edge means which form stops at opposite sides of said member and will no longer permit movement in the same direction as the arrows in FIG. 4, whereas the sharp ends of the arms 18 will resist any movement back in the opposite direction. The ornament will therefore be locked in place. If it is desired the parts can be made slightly smaller so that after the ornament is locked in place it will still slide lengthwise of the channel members.

I have thus provided a mounting construction which permits the quick and rapid mounting of an ornament in a channel bracelet. It is merely necessary to position the ornaments mounting member in the channel and give it a quick quarter turn. The result is a complete and permanent lock in the position required. The device is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An article of jewelry comprising a base channel member having a flat base portion with opposite edges bent toward each other to form opposed flanges, and

means for locking an ornament on said base between said flanges, said means comprising a mounting having a central cross member with two resilient arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said cross member to therewith form a Z-shape, said ends of said cross member at their junctions with said .arms having generally mutually parallel straight edge means forming stops at opposite sides of said member, each said stop facing in one of said directions, the free ends of said arms each having a sharp point and a rounded portion extendingirom said point and lying on that side of said point away from the associated one of said stops.

2. An article of jewelry comprising a base channel member having a flat base portion with opposite edges bent toward each other to form opposed flanges, and means for locking an ornament on said base between said flanges, said means comprising a mounting having a central cross member with two resilient arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said cross member to therewith form a Z-shape, said ends of said cross member at their junctions ,With said arms having generally mutually parallel straight edge means forming stops at opposite sides of said member, each said stop facing in one of said directions, the free ends of said arms each having a sharp point and a rounded portion extending from said point and lying on that side of said point away from the associated one of said stops, said Z-shaped member having a length equal to the distance between the sinner portions of said flanges, whereby said member will lock between said flanges when said member is rotated transversely to said channel base.

3. An articleof jewelry comprising a base channel member having a flat base portion with opposite edges bent toward each other to form opposed flanges, and means for locking an ornament on said base between said flanges, said means comprising a mounting having a broad central cross member with two resilient arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said cross member to therewith form a Z-shape, said ornament being mounted on said cross member, said arms being separated from said broad central cross member by slots, said ends of said cross member at their junctions with said arms having generlly mutuallyparallel straight edge means forming stops at opposite sides of said member, each said stop facing in one of said directions, the free ends of said arms each having a sharp point and a rounded portion extending from said point and lying on that side of said point away from the associated one of said stops.

4. A article of jewelry comprising a base channel member having a flat base portion with opposite edges bent toward each other to form opposed flanges, and means for locking an ornament on said base between said flanges, said means comprising a mounting having a broad central cross member with two resilient arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said cross member to therewith form a Z-shape, said ornament be-' ing mounted on said cross member, said arms being separated from said broad central cross member by slo'ts, said ends of said cross member at their junctions with said arms having generally mutually parallel straight edge means forming stops at opposite sides of said member, each said stop facing in one of said directions, the free ends of said arms each having a sharp point and a rounded portion extending from said point and lying on that side of said point away from the associated one of said stops, said Z-shaped member having a length equal to the distance between the inner portions of said flanges, whereby said member will lock between said flanges when said member is rotated transversely to said channel base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,255,858 9/1941 Place l89 88 2,531,352 11/1950 Churchill 2473 2,742,984 4/1956 Bedford 24*73 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Assistant Examiner. i 

1. AN ARTICLE OF JEWELRY COMPRISING A BASE CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING A FLAT BASE PORTION WITH OPPOSITE EDGES BENT TOWARD EACH OTHER TO FORM OPPOSED FLANGES, AND MEANS FOR LOCKING AN ORNAMENT ON SAID BASE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A MOUNTING HAVING A CENTRAL CROSS MEMBER WITH TWO RESILIENT ARMS EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CROSS MEMBER TO THEREWITH FORM A Z-SHAPE, SAID ENDS OF SAID CROSS MEMBER AT THEIR JUNCTIONS WITH SAID ARMS HAVING GENERALLY MUTUALLY PARALLEL STRAIGHT EDGE MEANS FORMING STOPS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MEMBER, EACH SAID STOP FACING IN ONE OF SAID DIRECTIONS, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS EACH HAVING A SHARP POINT AND A ROUNDED PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID POINT AND LYING ON THAT SIDE OF SAID POINT AWAY FROM THE ASSOCIATED ONE OF SAID STOPS. 